Email
Print
Share
FollowPhilanthropy, Responsible Investing
"The Power of Startegic Mission Investing" (Stanford Social Innovation Fall 2007)
![[photo - Laura Arrillaga]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/3718[1].jpg "[photo - Laura Arrillaga]")
Philanthropy expert Peter Hero interviews Laura Arrillaga, the founder and chairman of Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, about developments that are now making philanthropy a powerhouse for social change.
![[photo - William F. Meehan III]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/meehan-william-f_10.jpg "[photo - William F. Meehan III]")
The Acumen Fund provides modest amounts of capital, combined with business expertise, to help build enterprises that would serve the poor. The case describes the fund’s approach to helping address water resource problems in developing countries.
Research Resources
Social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance according to an award-winning paper coauthored by Professor David Baron. The researchers find that social pressure and social performance reinforce each other, greater social pressure is associated with lower financial performance, and financial and social performance are largely unrelated.
Peter deCourcy Hero is one of the foremost practitioners of and commentators on philanthropy today. From 1989 to 2007 he was the president and CEO of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV) and subsequently Senior Advisor to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. A winner of numerous awards he is on the boards of several foundations. Interviewed by Wolfgang Bielfeld from the University of Bologa, Italy, he comments on the development of venture philanthropy and the new trends in philanthropy today.
There are two kinds of philanthropy products: financial products and information products. They used to be bundled together, in the form of foundation staff, personal advisors, or community foundation program officers. In the early 1990s the advent of national donor advised funds showed that a huge market existed for unbundled products. The market worked, but now we are seeing another change in philanthropic giving due to the rise of the internet.
The Global Impact Investment Initiative (GIIN) is an important, but still forming, coalition of investors who focus on both social and environmental impact as well as financial return. GIIN wants to have a positive impact on poverty, economic justice and a sustainable environment. That means it needs to counter the exclusive nature of its innate and valuable club and be sure to include the voices and the perspectives of all; it has to be inclusive.
When donor gifts are public, social approbation is reward enough.
THE UNFINISHED PRESIDENCY by Douglas Brinkley Review by John Wood
From pink ribbons to Product Red, cause marketing adroitly serves two masters, earning profits for corporations while raising funds for charities. Yet the short-term benefits of cause marketing—also known as consumption philanthropy—belie its long-term costs. These hidden costs include individualizing solutions to collective problems; replacing virtuous action with mindless buying; and hiding how markets create many social problems in the first place. Consumption philanthropy is therefore unsuited to create real social change. —By Angela M. Eikenberry
Uhuru will manage a conventional fund of hedge funds with an attention to social values.
Scared foundations now regret hoarding their grants
The Peter C. Alderman Foundation uses rigorous analysis to outlast hundreds of failed nonprofits that were launched in response to 9/11.
Social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance according to an award-winning paper coauthored by Professor David Baron. The researchers find that social pressure and social performance reinforce each other, greater social pressure is associated with lower financial performance, and financial and social performance are largely unrelated.
Peter deCourcy Hero is one of the foremost practitioners of and commentators on philanthropy today. From 1989 to 2007 he was the president and CEO of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV) and subsequently Senior Advisor to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. A winner of numerous awards he is on the boards of several foundations. Interviewed by Wolfgang Bielfeld from the University of Bologa, Italy, he comments on the development of venture philanthropy and the new trends in philanthropy today.
Gates Foundation CEO Jeff Raikes has taken a circuitous path to lead one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations. He started out on the farm then fell in love with software development. As his father advised, he’s flexible.
![[photo - Professor Jim Phills]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/article_april12_0.jpg "[photo - Professor Jim Phills]")
The wealth generated by the dot-com boom of the 1990s produced a new generation of philanthropists, determined to use their capital and their business savvy to solve social problems. A decade later, have they transformed the world of philanthropy?
![[photo - Baby Boomers]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/news_art_03_0.jpg "[photo - Baby Boomers]")
Increasingly, older workers are choosing to spend their later working years doing things that matter to them, providing a "wellspring of innovation" by either working for or volunteering with nonprofits, government programs, or foundations. That's good since estimates are nonprofits will need 640,000 new executives over the next decade.
![[photo - environmental investment can pay dividends says Mark Tercek]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/Environmental-Investment.jpg "[photo - environmental investment can pay dividends says Mark Tercek]")
There are “huge opportunities for companies and other private sector players in the environmental area,” said Mark Tercek, an investment banker who spent the past 24 years at global giant Goldman Sachs. “We’re off to the races there."
![[photo - Kathleen McCarthy]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/Kathleen_McCarthy_1.jpg "[photo - Kathleen McCarthy]")
Many believe the foundation sector is on the cusp of a golden age. Baby boomers will soon inherit a tremendous amount of wealth and will be able to start to seriously give away their money. But even with this rosy picture, Kathleen McCarthy, director of the Center for the Study of Philanthropy at the City University of New York, says the future of foundations is less secure than most people think.
![[photo - Luther Ragin]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/is_investing_0.jpg "[photo - Luther Ragin]")
Luther Ragin of the Heron Foundation argues that the prevailing model of philanthropic organizations giving away just 5 percent of their funds each year may be shortchanging charitable causes.
![[photo - Bill Gates]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/Bill_Gates_0.jpg "[photo - Bill Gates]")
As baby boomers get closer to inheriting vast sums of money and philanthropic organizations face more scrutiny, foundations must strike a delicate balance in fulfilling their missions.
![[photo - Peter Hero]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/Peter_Hero_1.jpg "[photo - Peter Hero]")
Traditionally, community foundations, unlike most private or corporate ones, are tied to a specific region or city and act as a "savings account" to meet the current and future needs of that area. But gradually, says Peter Hero, president of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV), that's changing.
When donor gifts are public, social approbation is reward enough.
THE UNFINISHED PRESIDENCY by Douglas Brinkley Review by John Wood
From pink ribbons to Product Red, cause marketing adroitly serves two masters, earning profits for corporations while raising funds for charities. Yet the short-term benefits of cause marketing—also known as consumption philanthropy—belie its long-term costs. These hidden costs include individualizing solutions to collective problems; replacing virtuous action with mindless buying; and hiding how markets create many social problems in the first place. Consumption philanthropy is therefore unsuited to create real social change. —By Angela M. Eikenberry
Uhuru will manage a conventional fund of hedge funds with an attention to social values.
MONEY WELL SPENT: A Strategic Plan for Smart Philanthropy by Paul Brest and Hal Harvey Review by Susan Berresford
How foundations can best support social innovators. —By Steven Lawry
New research estimates the value of the services provided by faith-based organizations.
Many philanthropists refrain from online giving.
Find out how Nau, an ultra-cool outdoor clothing start-up from Portland, Ore., tried on too much, too fast. —By Suzie Boss
PHILANTHROCAPITALISM: How the Rich Can Save the World by Matthew Bishop & Michael Green Review by Joel Fleishman
There are two kinds of philanthropy products: financial products and information products. They used to be bundled together, in the form of foundation staff, personal advisors, or community foundation program officers. In the early 1990s the advent of national donor advised funds showed that a huge market existed for unbundled products. The market worked, but now we are seeing another change in philanthropic giving due to the rise of the internet.
The Global Impact Investment Initiative (GIIN) is an important, but still forming, coalition of investors who focus on both social and environmental impact as well as financial return. GIIN wants to have a positive impact on poverty, economic justice and a sustainable environment. That means it needs to counter the exclusive nature of its innate and valuable club and be sure to include the voices and the perspectives of all; it has to be inclusive.
Scared foundations now regret hoarding their grants
The Peter C. Alderman Foundation uses rigorous analysis to outlast hundreds of failed nonprofits that were launched in response to 9/11.
As charitable causes are brought to the fore front by the release of movies like “Slumdog Millionaire,” and celebrity actions like the prospect of adopting a new white house dog, questions of how intent should impact charitable decisions arise.
The opportunity has come to reframe, rethink, re-set, and re-build some of the things we take most for granted.
Wealthy philanthropists are putting off making new gifts, making estates, for the first time, the source of the majority of the year’s top donations.
For philanthropy to reach it’s potential, bodies of knowledge need to “jump together.”
The author breaks down how public funding of the arts should be put towards performance, exhibition, and education leaving the artists and their creative process to private patronage.
As the economy continues to shrink, individuals will need to make a more conscious effort towards charitable giving.
![[photo - Presenter - Kriss Deiglmeier]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/KrissDeiglmeier.JPG "[photo - Presenter - Kriss Deiglmeier]")
The study of past social and environmental breakthroughs demonstrates that when business, government, and nonprofits come together, social innovation can flourish. Kriss Deiglmeier, the Center for Social Innovation executive director, suggests ways for philanthropy professionals to maximize their impact in a webinar hosted by the Donors Forum of South Florida.
![[photo - Carol Larson]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/3687[1].jpg "[photo - Carol Larson]")
Carol Larson, the president and CEO of the David & Lucille Packard Foundation, shares tools, lessons, and strategies for assessing performance to create an effective learning enterprise.
![[photo - Mark Kramer]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/3686[1].jpg "[photo - Mark Kramer]")
Mark Kramer, the founder and managing director of FSG Social Impact Advisors, details how nonprofits can better incorporate evaluation to achieve their mission and bring about social change.
![[photo - Dr. Tralance Addy]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/addy.jpg "[photo - Dr. Tralance Addy]")
A panel of social entrepreneurs discusses how they use for-profit activities to subsidize the programs supporting their organizations' social missions.
![[photo - Gene Sykes]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/gene-sykes.jpg "[photo - Gene Sykes]")
Two Goldman Sachs managers discuss how their investment firm is making the financing of corporate deals contingent upon the incorporation of increasingly stringent environmental criteria.
Philanthropy expert Peter Hero interviews Laura Arrillaga, the founder and chairman of Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, about developments that are now making philanthropy a powerhouse for social change.
![[photo - Christopher J. Elias]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/3745[1].jpg "[photo - Christopher J. Elias]")
Dr. Christopher Elias talks about the beginnings, accomplishments, and challenges of Program for Appropriate Technology and Health (PATH).
![[photo - Lawrence Summers]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/lawrence-summers_0.jpg "[photo - Lawrence Summers]")
Panelists discuss the meaning of, and ways to achieve, sustainable development.
![[photo - Dr. Alana Conner Snibbe, Rick Aubry, Victor Kuo]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/3212[1].jpg "[photo - Dr. Alana Conner Snibbe, Rick Aubry, Victor Kuo]")
Nonprofit executives Rick Aubry and Victor Kuo give their perspectives on program evaluation in this conversation with Alana Conner, senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
![[photo - Kriss Deiglmeier]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/podcast_img/3568[1].jpg "[photo - Kriss Deiglmeier]")
Kriss Deiglmeier, executive director of the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, leads a discussion about funding a startup.
![[Video-Opportunities In Environmental Area]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/pxAR0qZzS3Y/0.jpg "[Video-Opportunities In Environmental Area]")
How do environmental challenges create growth opportunities, new markets, and innovation? Two Goldman Sachs managers discuss how their investment firm is making the financing of corporate deals contingent upon the incorporation of increasingly stringent environmental criteria.
![[Video-Community Foundations]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/xws0z0-GlxA/0.jpg "[Video-Community Foundations]")
Community foundations have become an increasingly common outlet for charitable giving in the United States. In this panel discussion, led by Julie Juergens, the director of the Center for Social Innovation, community foundation leaders discuss innovative models for foundations as well as challenges faced by this sector.
![[Video-Value Creation]](http://img.youtube.com/vi/dN0jL1ACCYg/0.jpg "[Video-Value Creation]")
The nonprofit sector delivers social value and the for-profit sector delivers economic value, right? Wrong! Jed Emerson argues that value is nondivisible, whole, and blended. He invites us to think beyond philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, social enterprise, and other limiting mindsets.
The study of past social and environmental breakthroughs demonstrates that when business, government, and nonprofits come together, social innovation can flourish. Kriss Deiglmeier, the Center for Social Innovation executive director, suggests ways for philanthropy professionals to maximize their impact in a webinar hosted by the Donors Forum of South Florida.
Carol Larson, the president and CEO of the David & Lucille Packard Foundation, shares tools, lessons, and strategies for assessing performance to create an effective learning enterprise.
Mark Kramer, the founder and managing director of FSG Social Impact Advisors, details how nonprofits can better incorporate evaluation to achieve their mission and bring about social change.
A panel of social entrepreneurs discusses how they use for-profit activities to subsidize the programs supporting their organizations' social missions.
Two Goldman Sachs managers discuss how their investment firm is making the financing of corporate deals contingent upon the incorporation of increasingly stringent environmental criteria.
Philanthropy expert Peter Hero interviews Laura Arrillaga, the founder and chairman of Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, about developments that are now making philanthropy a powerhouse for social change.
Dr. Christopher Elias talks about the beginnings, accomplishments, and challenges of Program for Appropriate Technology and Health (PATH).
Panelists discuss the meaning of, and ways to achieve, sustainable development.
Nonprofit executives Rick Aubry and Victor Kuo give their perspectives on program evaluation in this conversation with Alana Conner, senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Kriss Deiglmeier, executive director of the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, leads a discussion about funding a startup.
![[photo - Robert A. Burgelman]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/burgelman-robert-a_5.jpg "[photo - Robert A. Burgelman]")
The Kinetics and Michael J. Fox Foundations both support research on Parkinson’s disease. This second case explores how these two organizations collaborate toward a common mission.
![[photo - William F. Meehan III]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/meehan-william-f_1.jpg "[photo - William F. Meehan III]")
The best nonprofits don’t necessarily get the most money, observed William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Philanthropy Program officer Jacob Harold and president Paul Brest in 2007. From there they started exploring how they could improve the marketplace and how donors give their money. To that effect they hired consulting firm McKinsey & Company to explore the online information marketplace for giving space at a macro level, looking at trends and opportunities. Armed with data they then tried to figure out what to do.
![[photo - Robert A. Burgelman]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/burgelman-robert-a_4.jpg "[photo - Robert A. Burgelman]")
The Kinetics and Michael J. Fox Foundations both support research on Parkinson’s disease. This first case describes the creation, mission, and strategy of the two organizations.
![[photo - James A. Phills]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/phills-james-a_18.jpg "[photo - James A. Phills]")
The X PRIZE Foundation originated as prize competitions for significant development in the exploration of outer space. Several problems faced the organization as it began to focus on fields outside of space, including whether prize competitions could work in areas such as poverty.
The Acumen Fund provides modest amounts of capital, combined with business expertise, to help build enterprises that would serve the poor. The case describes the fund’s approach to helping address water resource problems in developing countries.
![[photo - George Foster]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/foster-george.jpg "[photo - George Foster]")
The Canary Fund supports the development of methods for early cancer detection. This first case describes the choice to sponsor a high-profile racing event to raise funding and awareness.
![[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/arrillaga-laura-kathryne_17.jpg "[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]")
A conference at Stanford brought together professionals from foundations to share best practices, discuss emerging innovations, and build professional networks. This summary presents key issues discussed.
![[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/arrillaga-laura-kathryne_16.jpg "[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]")
The Altman Foundation was established to serve the people of New York City. By 2005, the foundation was poised to take its strategic philanthropy to the next level by implementing a broader system of research and evaluation.
![[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/arrillaga-laura-kathryne_13.jpg "[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]")
By 2005, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation had firmly established the importance of building a knowledge base and communicating its findings to external and internal constitutencies. The foundation faced the challenge of how to effectively execute its communications.
![[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/arrillaga-laura-kathryne_15.jpg "[photo - Laura K. Arrillaga]")
The Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund provides Silicon Valley donors with philanthropic experience and education to empower their giving, and awards capacity-building grants to nonprofits. The fund’s leadership wondered how to improve the partner consulting program to better leverage partner expertise, and how to engage partners in grantmaking and educational activities.
The Kinetics and Michael J. Fox Foundations both support research on Parkinson’s disease. This second case explores how these two organizations collaborate toward a common mission.
The best nonprofits don’t necessarily get the most money, observed William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Philanthropy Program officer Jacob Harold and president Paul Brest in 2007. From there they started exploring how they could improve the marketplace and how donors give their money. To that effect they hired consulting firm McKinsey & Company to explore the online information marketplace for giving space at a macro level, looking at trends and opportunities. Armed with data they then tried to figure out what to do.
The Kinetics and Michael J. Fox Foundations both support research on Parkinson’s disease. This first case describes the creation, mission, and strategy of the two organizations.
The X PRIZE Foundation originated as prize competitions for significant development in the exploration of outer space. Several problems faced the organization as it began to focus on fields outside of space, including whether prize competitions could work in areas such as poverty.
The Acumen Fund provides modest amounts of capital, combined with business expertise, to help build enterprises that would serve the poor. The case describes the fund’s approach to helping address water resource problems in developing countries.
The Canary Fund supports the development of methods for early cancer detection. This first case describes the choice to sponsor a high-profile racing event to raise funding and awareness.
A conference at Stanford brought together professionals from foundations to share best practices, discuss emerging innovations, and build professional networks. This summary presents key issues discussed.
The Altman Foundation was established to serve the people of New York City. By 2005, the foundation was poised to take its strategic philanthropy to the next level by implementing a broader system of research and evaluation.
By 2005, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation had firmly established the importance of building a knowledge base and communicating its findings to external and internal constitutencies. The foundation faced the challenge of how to effectively execute its communications.
The Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund provides Silicon Valley donors with philanthropic experience and education to empower their giving, and awards capacity-building grants to nonprofits. The fund’s leadership wondered how to improve the partner consulting program to better leverage partner expertise, and how to engage partners in grantmaking and educational activities.
![[photo - Jennifer L. Aaker]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/Jennifer_Aaker1_0.jpg "[photo - Jennifer L. Aaker]")
Asking would-be donors for their time, not their money, is a better way for charities to increase donations, says professor Jennifer Aaker. Asking donors first to volunteer their time can positively shift their willingness to give both time and money.
![[photo - James E. Emerson]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/2929_1.jpg "[photo - James E. Emerson]")
This study presents fundamental concepts of markets, capital markets, and social capital markets. It also highlights select initiatives underway in early 2007 that sought to improve the functioning of social capital markets.
![[photo - James E. Emerson]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/James-E.-Emerson_7.jpg "[photo - James E. Emerson]")
This essay explores how the lines are blurring between for-profit businesses and nonprofits that do social good. It outlines examples of companies that embody "blended value" and discusses barriers to sustainable capitalism, and the role of philanthropy in supporting it.
![[photo - James E. Emerson]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/Jed-Emerson.jpg "[photo - James E. Emerson]")
A foundation's assets for supporting the process of social value creation should be viewed as part of the organization's overall investment strategy. This paper introduces the concept of the Unified Investment Strategy, an approach to achieving maximum social impact.
Mark Cafferty is passionate about empowering individuals to be all they can be. He channels funds to employment and youth service programs.
![[photo - Robert Keith, Carl Palmer]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Palmerkeith.jpg "[photo - Robert Keith, Carl Palmer]")
Robert Keith and Carl Palmer are restoring and protecting ecologically important properties in the West. They're earning market-rate returns for their effort.
![[photo - Peter Hero]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Peterhero.jpg "[photo - Peter Hero]")
Peter Hero has been helping philanthropists make a social impact for two decades. He's now inspiring students to get involved in social entrepreneurship.
![[photo - Katherine Boas]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/KatherineBoas_large.jpg "[photo - Katherine Boas]")
Katherine Boas created the Barefoot MBA curriculum with her classmate Scott Raymond while a student in the Stanford MBA program. Her ambition? To teach the world’s poorest entrepreneurs the basic business skills they need to make better decisions with their microloans.
![[photo - Jessica Jackley]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Jessicajackleyflannery.jpg "[photo - Jessica Jackley]")
Jessica Flannery created Kiva to connect lenders to small entrepreneurs without access to financial resources. Her goal? To alleviate poverty.
![[photo - Eric Weaver]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Ericweaver.jpg "[photo - Eric Weaver]")
![[photo - Daniel Grossman]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Danielgrossman.jpg "[photo - Daniel Grossman]")
Daniel Grossman's Wild Planet creates toys that parents love as much as kids. His aim is to inspire learning and inventiveness.
![[photo - Bruce McNamer]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/Brucemcnamer.jpg "[photo - Bruce McNamer]")
Bruce McNamer empowers entrepreneurs in rural areas around the world to become self-sufficient. He finds helping people to help themselves a noble calling.
![[photo - Josh Becker]](http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/img75x75/social_innovator_picture/josh-becker.jpg "[photo - Josh Becker]")
Josh Becker combines private, public, and government-sector solutions in addressing big social challenges. His focus is innovation.
Robert Keith and Carl Palmer are restoring and protecting ecologically important properties in the West. They're earning market-rate returns for their effort.
Peter Hero has been helping philanthropists make a social impact for two decades. He's now inspiring students to get involved in social entrepreneurship.
Katherine Boas created the Barefoot MBA curriculum with her classmate Scott Raymond while a student in the Stanford MBA program. Her ambition? To teach the world’s poorest entrepreneurs the basic business skills they need to make better decisions with their microloans.
Jessica Flannery created Kiva to connect lenders to small entrepreneurs without access to financial resources. Her goal? To alleviate poverty.
Daniel Grossman's Wild Planet creates toys that parents love as much as kids. His aim is to inspire learning and inventiveness.
Bruce McNamer empowers entrepreneurs in rural areas around the world to become self-sufficient. He finds helping people to help themselves a noble calling.
Josh Becker combines private, public, and government-sector solutions in addressing big social challenges. His focus is innovation.
Mark Cafferty is passionate about empowering individuals to be all they can be. He channels funds to employment and youth service programs.
Robert Keith and Carl Palmer are restoring and protecting ecologically important properties in the West. They're earning market-rate returns for their effort.
Peter Hero has been helping philanthropists make a social impact for two decades. He's now inspiring students to get involved in social entrepreneurship.
Katherine Boas created the Barefoot MBA curriculum with her classmate Scott Raymond while a student in the Stanford MBA program. Her ambition? To teach the world’s poorest entrepreneurs the basic business skills they need to make better decisions with their microloans.
Jessica Flannery created Kiva to connect lenders to small entrepreneurs without access to financial resources. Her goal? To alleviate poverty.
Daniel Grossman's Wild Planet creates toys that parents love as much as kids. His aim is to inspire learning and inventiveness.
Bruce McNamer empowers entrepreneurs in rural areas around the world to become self-sufficient. He finds helping people to help themselves a noble calling.
Josh Becker combines private, public, and government-sector solutions in addressing big social challenges. His focus is innovation.
Social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance according to an award-winning paper coauthored by Professor David Baron. The researchers find that social pressure and social performance reinforce each other, greater social pressure is associated with lower financial performance, and financial and social performance are largely unrelated.
Peter deCourcy Hero is one of the foremost practitioners of and commentators on philanthropy today. From 1989 to 2007 he was the president and CEO of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV) and subsequently Senior Advisor to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. A winner of numerous awards he is on the boards of several foundations. Interviewed by Wolfgang Bielfeld from the University of Bologa, Italy, he comments on the development of venture philanthropy and the new trends in philanthropy today.
Mark Cafferty is passionate about empowering individuals to be all they can be. He channels funds to employment and youth service programs.
The Kinetics and Michael J. Fox Foundations both support research on Parkinson’s disease. This second case explores how these two organizations collaborate toward a common mission.
There are two kinds of philanthropy products: financial products and information products. They used to be bundled together, in the form of foundation staff, personal advisors, or community foundation program officers. In the early 1990s the advent of national donor advised funds showed that a huge market existed for unbundled products. The market worked, but now we are seeing another change in philanthropic giving due to the rise of the internet.
The Global Impact Investment Initiative (GIIN) is an important, but still forming, coalition of investors who focus on both social and environmental impact as well as financial return. GIIN wants to have a positive impact on poverty, economic justice and a sustainable environment. That means it needs to counter the exclusive nature of its innate and valuable club and be sure to include the voices and the perspectives of all; it has to be inclusive.
Katherine Boas created the Barefoot MBA curriculum with her classmate Scott Raymond while a student in the Stanford MBA program. Her ambition? To teach the world’s poorest entrepreneurs the basic business skills they need to make better decisions with their microloans.
When donor gifts are public, social approbation is reward enough.
THE UNFINISHED PRESIDENCY by Douglas Brinkley Review by John Wood
From pink ribbons to Product Red, cause marketing adroitly serves two masters, earning profits for corporations while raising funds for charities. Yet the short-term benefits of cause marketing—also known as consumption philanthropy—belie its long-term costs. These hidden costs include individualizing solutions to collective problems; replacing virtuous action with mindless buying; and hiding how markets create many social problems in the first place. Consumption philanthropy is therefore unsuited to create real social change. —By Angela M. Eikenberry
